[GNUz] [AGD] fyi

[Rik Tindall]

Lois and Martin Griffiths wrote:
> I get all my news from the internet, ie, I don't believe much of the  
> international news that  is dished out by corporate media.
>
> Lois
>
> *Death of Free Internet is Imminent*
>  
> *Canada Will Become Test Case*
>  
> *By Kevin Parkinson*
>  
> The plan is to convert the Internet into a cable-like system, where 
> customers sign up for specific web sites, and then pay to visit sites 
> beyond a cutoff point.
> http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article20330.htm

You're dead right Lois, to be concerned.

The battle for public telecommunications channels is a very long and 
important one. It goes back to the 1930s, when in the US, decades after 
having to break the 'railway barons' then the Standard Oil monopoly, 
next in line was Bell Telephone Company which owned 75 or 80 percent of 
all US home lines at that time. Many big related issues spun off of that 
early regulation measure - the Federal Communications Commission 
www.fcc.gov , IBM Personal Computer monopoly (4th in the line for 
busting up), and Unix (internet base, etc etc) - the main rival to the 
current /  greatest telecomms de facto monopoly ever: Microsoft (5th).

Theirs would be the kind of software to - combining business and 
government control interests - 'channelise' what is currently free 
(under user control).

So that's why there are a chain of green activists NZ-wide currently 
working to put together a tour for the most effective and informative 
person on Earth acting to protect our telecommunications rights, to 
speak to the kiwi public: Richard M Stallman, of the GNU Project.

Tour details: http://www.tinyurl.com/rmsnz

Chch date: Mon 18 Aug, 7.30pm, details tba.

More info: http://gnu.org

Regards, Rik

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